Yeah, I was driving home from work when it happened. Didn't take any drugs and a drastic chemical imbalance doesn't magically and instantly fix itself. I've done x quite a few times. It does cause temporary joy, but does not cause epiphany, and the effects are temporary. Good try though.

Yeah, I was driving home from work when it happened. Didn't take any drugs and a drastic chemical imbalance doesn't magically and instantly fix itself. I've done x quite a few times. It does cause temporary joy, but does not cause epiphany, and the effects are temporary. Good try though.

Sorry, Pops, but I believe that your "religious experiences" are generated from within your own mind. I believe everyone's "religious experiences" are in their own heads in the same way that people who suffer from schizophrenia experience their hallucinations. It can be difficult for them to distinguish the real from the imaginary because it seems so real to the person experiencing it.

(25-10-2015 07:55 AM)jason_delisle Wrote: The only thing I can really understand is that atheist use this forum to vent out their frustrations from [dealing] with theist[s] all day.

Jason, I know a lot of moderate Christians. They’re wonderful people, and they contribute in meaningful ways to society. I love living among them, I know that their moral code is similar to mine, so I feel safe and comfortable being around them. –But these are not the Christians who have caused atheists to push back with such force.

Fundamentalist Christians, on the other hand, look at everything through the filters of their own religion. As a result, they are misinformed about secular subjects such as science, and history, and even the roots of their own religion. They are paranoid about government, and they try to force their religious values on a society that is just not interested. Worst of all, they use fear tactics to convert people, and intimidation to keep church members in their place. They instill feelings of self-loathing, sexual shame and worthlessness into followers. If you find venting here, understand that it is the product of the fundamentalist Christians who zealously push their values on others.

Many of the people on this forum have come out of Christian movements like this, and they are understandably angry. They may roll their eyes at the moderate Christians for their beliefs, but these moderates are not causing the atheist push-back. It's the fundamentalists who are, and anyone who has been a victim of Christian oppression or dogged attempts to evangelize has a justifiable reason to be enraged.

This was amazingly well stated.

But as if to knock me down, reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch, cut me into little pieces

(25-10-2015 05:59 AM)jason_delisle Wrote: It amazes me that every atheist is a biblical expert. They know everything and theist are stupid simple creatures. Well ask yourself, why are there atheist who converted to Christianity? Why are atheist so angry all the time. Especially if someone says they are praying for you. Why do atheist always seem to turn to personal attacks. I am not trying to convert anyone here. I am only here to answer questions.

See, again, assuming all atheists are angry. This is almost universal with theists, especially Christians. If we don't agree, we're labeled angry. I'm not angry at all. I was giving you the benefit of the doubt, but this just falls in line with the majority of believers.

If an atheist gets angry, it's precisely because theists (again, mostly Christians) constantly tell us we need Jesus or their particular flavor of faith. Would you love it if you were constantly hounded by Hindus, Muslims, theistic Buddhists, Wiccans, etc.? Very few here welcome Jehovah's Witnesses into their home. Do you? If not, why? Do you make it a point to give the young Mormon elders your undivided attention and time? If not, why? Would you enjoy it if somehow your city seceded and was under sharia? Why not?

But that's our reality. You come to an atheist forum and don't like the answers. In the past few months alone, we've had a handful of theists come here and insinuate we're loathsome, evil, or lack real religious upbringing. So of course, when you question and make snide comments, many immediately think you're going to do the same. Christians especially love to come here, ask vague questions, and then pull a "Gotcha! Caught you!"

You've been here a short time and already think all atheists are angry and dodge questions. I've been here a year and don't think all visiting theists are morons.

I think the idea that atheists study the Bible and other holy texts irritates many theists. We read your holy books from another perspective. When people have to perform mental gymnastics to justify contradictions or strange morals (including condoning behavior that we now believe is immoral) we of course would point it out. Do you think Atlas rests the world upon his weary shoulders? Or that elephants hold up the earth? Of course not. But people did and still do believe such nonsense. Why would your religion get an exception? Some of my ancestors believed bears were once humans. Why would I believe that? But to say that we don't know the Bible is incorrect. We just see it from a point of view that you don't like.

There are more theist-turned-atheist than vice versa. Do you even understand the vitriol many of us get when friends and family turn their backs on us because we no longer believe? And then you come here and think you understand how we all are. You lump all atheists into a neat little box where we're all angry, insulting idiots. Most of us would not lump you with Q, Alla, Egor, Comfort/Cameron, and Ken Ham. Yet you did exactly that to us.

You're asking questions but not accepting answers. I don't dislike you, Jason, but you're following the same path of theists who come here not to discuss but think you have it figured out.

I want you to stick around but ease up on this kind of attitude. In the mean time, check out Greta Christina's book titled Why Are You Atheists So Angry?. Then put yourself in our shoes. Or imagine Islam fundies doing that to Christians.

Yeah, I was driving home from work when it happened. Didn't take any drugs and a drastic chemical imbalance doesn't magically and instantly fix itself. I've done x quite a few times. It does cause temporary joy, but does not cause epiphany, and the effects are temporary. Good try though.

I've seen this game played too many times here by people far better.

But thanks for playing.

But as if to knock me down, reality came around
And without so much as a mere touch, cut me into little pieces

(25-10-2015 12:11 PM)popsthebuilder Wrote: Yeah, I was driving home from work when it happened. Didn't take any drugs and a drastic chemical imbalance doesn't magically and instantly fix itself. I've done x quite a few times. It does cause temporary joy, but does not cause epiphany, and the effects are temporary. Good try though.

You must realize that even if you did experience what you claim there is probably no way for anybody else to determine now what actually happened, including you. It is possible that you are lying. It is possible that something did happen that changed your outlook. Your claim that it happened is something that might be taken at face value, at least to the extent that you remember experiencing something. Your claim that it was caused by some sort of supernatural agent is completely unsupported and can be dismissed out of hand.

You are just trying to shift the burden of proof again. Nobody is under any obligation to provide a non-god explanation for your claims. You have the obligation to provide evidence to support your claims or stop making them.

Atheism: it's not just for communists any more!
America July 4 1776 - November 8 2016 RIP